


sheltering skies and stable earth beneath

by psikeval



Series: find some peace inside yourself; lay down your heavy load [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Fluff without Plot, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 20:31:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5679733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psikeval/pseuds/psikeval
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s still a lot for Lafayette to wrap his head around. No one’s ever been in love with him before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	sheltering skies and stable earth beneath

 

It’s odd to still be lying in bed when the sun is up. In the army camps, there is work to be done at every hour of the day, and Lafayette is always keenly aware of the need to prove himself. He is not only young but an outsider, and must show his men that he is not some frivolous French boy latched onto their cause in search of glory, flaunting his wealth and superior training. He will be, _must_ be, more than that. And so, almost without exception, he rises before dawn.

He’d almost forgotten the luxury of waking by degrees.

The east-facing window in Mulligan’s bedroom ensures a great deal of light in the morning. The curtains are drawn across the half-open windows, only ruffled by a faint occasional breeze, but the cloth is off-white and not so heavy as to block the sunlight. The effect is warm and bright, beautifully peaceful.

Lafayette doesn’t know how long he’s slept. When he thinks about it, he vaguely recalls half-waking hours ago, when Hercules left the bed, and being reassured by a hand on his back and Mulligan’s gruff, affectionate voice telling him to rest. It seems that Lafayette followed his instructions.

He rolls over onto his stomach, which only tangles the sheets further, and wonders what time it is now. Surely Hercules should return soon from wherever he’s gone, if in fact he's still out of the house and not just waiting in another room.

(Admittedly, Lafayette has been spoiled of late. Mulligan is a very generous lover, and seems to always wake up in the mood to lavish attention on Lafayette—yesterday by kissing every bit of skin he could reach, then nudging his head between Lafayette’s legs and slowly, _maddeningly_ licking and sucking at him until Lafayette could scarcely recall his own name.)

The bed is soft and warm and it smells like them—which of course it should, given they’ve spent every night in it, wrapped around each other. It’s only that he’s never been—well, he hasn’t—whatever they are, all of it, is new. Lafayette stretches out his feet as far as he can, until his toes hang off the mattress, breathes in through his nose and wonders how he’s ever going to leave.

He will, of course. Neither he nor Mulligan can afford to neglect their efforts for the war, and Lafayette would rather die, he thinks, than abandon his friends and comrades.

It’s only that the past few days have been so _good_.

Admittedly, he was in quite a sorry state when he appeared on Mulligan’s doorstep, all hurt feelings and wounded pride. Lafayette is embarrassed to recall it now. He hasn’t reached his current rank and station by acting the part of a jilted fool whenever it suits him. Surely he should have known better.

But the quiet, pointed rejection from Washington—no, it seems he still can’t think of that without flinching from the memory. Dear god, what a fool he’d been. To think that his commander, a man twice his age and married besides, would—

Secure in his solitude, Lafayette groans and mashes his face into pillow.

He could kiss Hercules for not bringing it up since that first night. In fact, Lafayette has kissed him several times for that precise reason, though he didn’t mention it aloud. They haven’t discussed the matter at all, much to Lafayette’s relief. Mulligan asks after Hamilton and Laurens, of course, and they talk about the war, in such depth that Lafayette can almost take for granted receiving complete respect from someone who knew him as a gangly seventeen-year-old boy—not to mention being told secrets over breakfast, even in broad strokes, by one of Washington’s foremost spies.

But as a rule, Lafayette tries to take nothing for granted. Better to be grateful, conduct himself well, and kiss Hercules a few more times when the talking’s done, just for good measure.

He has not actually tried to keep Lafayette in bed. In fact, Mulligan’s made it clear that he can leave whenever he likes, and sever what’s begun between them just as easily. It would be infuriating, honestly, how many escape routes Hercules creates for him, had Lafayette not finally, irritably asked if he _wanted_ it to be over and been told “it’s your decision,” so carefully that it seemed almost certain the loss would break Mulligan’s heart.

It’s still a lot for Lafayette to wrap his head around. No one’s ever been in love with him before. 

In hindsight, he knows that perhaps it would have been wiser to talk things through before falling into bed together. But the way Hercules had looked at him, with such wonder and affection, the reverence in his touch and the praise he’d given—Lafayette had needed all of it so badly.

And is he in love, as well? It seems unlikely. Aside from his overblown infatuations, easy enough to nurse regardless of circumstance, when has Lafayette had the chance to cultivate something as genuine as love? He isn’t sure he’d know what to do with it.

The previous flirtations, provocative as he might have been with Hercules, were just a game to Lafayette. He didn’t stop to think about Mulligan’s feelings, or even, for that matter, his own; it was just a way to amuse himself around an attractive man. Lafayette has no idea what he would have done if Mulligan had accepted his ridiculous overtures at the time.

He has a considerably clearer idea of what he’d like to do now.

As if summoned, Hercules comes to the bedroom, the sound of steady footsteps proceeding him until he leans beautifully in the doorway.

“Morning,” he says, with a grin that does terrible things to Lafayette’s heart.

He sits up, pushing back hair from his face. “And where have you been?”

No answer, only a friendly, apologetic shrug. Freemason business, then. Lafayette has wondered, on occasion, just how many secrets Mulligan keeps.

“Not that I mind,” Hercules says softly, pushing his weight from the doorframe in a way that draws Lafayette’s eyes straight from his frankly massive shoulders to his thighs. Admittedly, Lafayette has never needed a great deal of incentive to look, or to think about climbing Mulligan’s body as an explorer would a mountain. “But, any plans to leave the bed?”

He strips off his shirt before sitting down to unlace his shoes, which feels to Lafayette like an invitation. Accordingly, he wastes no time in curling himself behind Mulligan’s broad back. He traces his fingertips over the lines and dips of Hercules’ shoulders, the dimples between his considerable muscles. “Is it not Sunday?”

“Yeah.” He turns his head, already offering half a smile, and Lafayette looks into his dark, beautiful eyes and is suddenly breathless. “I thought you might want food.”

“I want _you_ ,” he counters without hesitation.

It’s absurd how pleased Mulligan looks. “Yeah?”

Oh, for the love of god. Lafayette doesn’t so much roll his eyes as allow his entire head to loll back with the weight of his frustrations. “Don’t start. I’ve already made my decision.”

“Well, you could—”

“Yes,” he interrupts, falling dramatically back on his elbows. “I know. I can change my mind. Or the sky could fall. Will you shut up and kiss me again?”

Mulligan smiles, horribly soft and fond, leans down and starts pressing a truly _insufferable_ number of kisses all over Lafayette’s face. He doesn’t stop until Lafayette is helplessly laughing, swearing and making ineffectual grabs at Hercules’ arms to try and pull him down. The man is dreadful, a menace, completely incorrigible.

Loving him might not be such a difficult thing to learn, in time.

 


End file.
